Unexpected
by Random Little Imp
Summary: M had decided the best course of action was to take away the funds, which would take away the threat. This is how James Bond ended up in that back room, looking at the potentially explosive item placed in an open crate on the floor. (my first Bond fic, be nice, and I'm sorry in advance) Skyfall era
1. Chapter 1

Olepiry was a small village in the Ukraine. It seemed like it would be a nice place to raise a family, if it wasn't for the human trafficking and drug dealing ring set up in a house on the outskirts. It wasn't the kind of thing that would normally attract the attention of MI6, but the money was going to fund a new terrorist cell that was making noise in London. M had decided the best course of action was to take away the funds, which would take away the threat. This is how James Bond ended up in that back room, looking at the potentially explosive item placed in an open crate on the floor.

…

"Did you really need to blow up their supply shed?" Q asked his agent through the two way earpiece, he couldn't see the smirk on Bond's face but he knew it was there.

"I needed the diversion to get inside without too much resistance." Bond replied, "Although it would be easier to do these things if my explosives were smaller and easier to carry."

"I told you before we don't do exploding pens anymore." Q couldn't help but smirk, of all the Double 0s 007 was the most entertaining to work with, if not the most stressful. "Is the building cleared?"

"The victims have been evacuated. Most of the traffickers have been neutralized, the rest have dispersed. Please inform the local authorities that they are hiding in the woods. I'm checking the rest of the building now." He moved carefully through each room, gun at the ready. "Do you have any more heat signatures on your feed?"

"Sorry 007, I don't have any satellite feed in the area at the moment. You'll have to use your eyes for this one." Q was typing away waiting for the snarky response Bond always had on hand for him. Except Q didn't get one, Bond was strangely silent all of the sudden. "007 is everything alright?"

James Bond was standing over the crate staring down at its contents, not sure what to do next. This was not something he could shoot his way out of. One wrong move and things could get very messy. "Q, I seem to have found something unexpected."

"What is it 007, explosives?" All of Q's attention was now focused on the voice coming through his speakers.

"Not exactly." Was all Bond said as he put his gun back in his holster and slowly approached the crate, leaning down to get a closer look at the contents. Q could just hear the whine as the baby woke and look up at the secret agent standing above her.


	2. Chapter 2

James Bond was not new to complications on missions. Things rarely went according to plan when he was involved, but this was something entirely different. Fatherhood was not something that he had ever considered, his job was not ideal for family stability. He'd never even had a relationship that had lasted long enough for these ideas to come up in conversation. So as he looked down at the tiny infant wrapped in pink he was truly at a lose. Then it began to cry. "Q, help me out here."

"Is there any sign of the child's parents?" Q was trying to keep his voice calm and reassuring as he could hear a slight edge of panic in his agent.

Bond took a quick look around the room only to find the body of a young woman in the closet. "I believe they are out of the picture."

"Well, you could start by picking the child up."

"You have got to be kidding." Q had to stifle a laugh at the agents tone.

"With no parents available you are the best option. The local authorities are currently spread thin rounding up the traffickers that took to the woods. You can't just leave the child there." Q's fingers were flying across his keyboard pulling up all kinds of information on the screen in front of him, "There is a government-run orphanage in Sumy, about two and a half hours north of you. Just take the child there and I will have an extraction team waiting for you. Are there any supplies there?"

"There is a bag here with a few diapers and bottles on the floor next to the crate." Bond reached into the crate to gently lift the child into his arms.

"You may want to change the child and feed it before you head out, unless you like listen to the crying." Q can't help but smile at the thought of the indomitable 007 changing a diaper. "Perhaps we can figure an approximate age as well."

"Right, " Bond gently lays one of the blankets on the floor and places the child on it while kneeling, Carefully peeling back the layers of blanket the infant is wrapped in to get to the child herself. "Female, about 56 centimeters in length, and five kilograms in weight." Bond marveled at the small life beneath his fingers as he redressed her and placed a bottle in her mouth, a look of calm and trust on her face. He had a sudden realization that this child was now completely dependent on him, if only temporarily. The feeling nearly floored the agent, and he could not help but smile.

"Going by those facts I'd say she is about three months old. It would seem our friends there were branching out into black market baby sales." A sick feeling filled the agent's stomach at the thought, "Now I hope your car is still in a drivable condition 007?" Q was not sure he really wanted to know the answer to this, knowing his agents track record with MI6 equipment.

"It's a little scratched, but it still runs well." Bond decided to leave out the bullet holes and shattered windows from this report.

"Well unless there is a proper infant car seat lying around you will have to cushion her snuggly in the crate and secure it in the back seat and for God's sake Bond, don't speed."

…..

"007 why is there a charge on your MI6 account for an infant car seat? I thought you dropped the child off at the orphanage already?" It had been three hours since Bond had left the house in Olepiry and he was quickly approaching the rendezvous point for the extraction team.

"I wouldn't leave a feral dog at that place, let alone a child. I thought Monique should have a proper seat before getting on a plane." Bond replied calmly, daring his quartermaster to try to argue with him.

Q was taken by surprise by the sudden gentleness of his agent; he didn't question the name though. Q knew from 007's file that it was Bond's mother's name. Q couldn't help but feel a swelling of pride in the man, as well as a sudden attraction that Q had felt before, although he would never have admitted to that to anyone. "So let me make sure I understand this. You are removing this child from the country of her birth by unauthorized military extraction, to be brought to Britain because of a lack of amenities."

"I'm glad to know we are on the same page on this Q." Bond took a firm hold of the car seat's handle; diaper bag slung across his chest, and ran to the plane waiting for him on the little used private airstrip.


	3. Chapter 3

Once the plane had landed in Britain Bond knew that a helicopter ride to the MI6 compound was out of the question. Monique had not appreciated the lift off at all, her tiny ears popping with the altitude change. Luckily the pilot was a father and had told Bond to try feeding her to ease her discomfort. The rest of the crew was quite relieved when it not only quieted her down, but put her right to sleep till after touchdown.

As soon as Bond walked into Q Branch he was surrounded by woman, all cooing down at Monique. Each one offering to hold her while he took care of his After Action Report. He wasn't sure if he could hand her over to just anyone, he was feeling a bit protective of his small charge, after having spent the better part of a day taken care of her. Just as Bond was thinking he might have to draw his sidearm to get them to back off Q used his rank as Department Head and sent the women back to their own workstations. He ushered the agent into his office where Bond could set the car seat down on the floor beside his chair. "You had no idea what a baby could do to the female population did you. Keep carrying her around and you will never have another lonely night." Q and Bond shared a quiet laugh.

Moneypenny walked through the office door, "Q informed me of your unauthorized cargo while you were in flight, and I have looked into suitably placement for the child." Moneypenny glanced down at the baby nervously only to have Monique look back and start to fuss. Bond immediately reached down and began unbuckling the straps as if he's been doing it for months, not hours. He lifted the child up into his arms but she did not quiet down. Moneypenny continued, looking a bit uneasily at the crying child, "Here is the list of local orphanages, as well as the paperwork for your After Action Report." She tried to hand the files to Bond, but his hands were full trying to calm Monique.

Bond was looking for a way to reposition the child in his arms so he could take the papers. He even tried to trade her for the papers with Moneypenny, but the woman only looked down at the small bundle with fear, going so far as to take a step away. Q quickly walked around his desk and took hold of the child himself, "Oh for goodness sake, give her here." Cradled in Q's arms Monique quickly stopped her fussing. Both Bond and Moneypenny looked at the thin man quietly cooing to the baby in his arms with a mixture of awe and surprise.

Still staring at the Quartermaster Moneypenny handed over the paperwork and continued, "None of the facilities has a spot currently available, they say they won't been able to take her until at least after the weekend."

Bond looked at her quizzically," It's only Wednesday, where can she go until they have the space available?"

"There are a couple of group homes nearby that say they can take her in temporarily; you will find them listed on the second page. They are not ideal, but for temporary care they are more than equipped." Moneypenny explained.

Q looked up with what could only be described as contempt on his face, "Absolutely not, those places are no place for any child. I'll take her home with me if I have too." Q had spent some time in group homes as a young teen; his only memories of them were cramped conditions, bullies, barely edible food and little to no supervision. Certainly it could be different for an infant, but why take that chance.

Bond looked at his Quartermaster with surprise and admiration as the young man cradled Monique in a very protective manner, turning his body away from Moneypenny as if she had sprouted claws and fangs. The agent wondered if Q even realized what he was doing. "That is not needed Q, I brought her here, she will come home with me. I have a quest room in my flat, I'm sure it could be temporarily setup to meet the child's needs. I'll just have to look into purchasing some furniture to be delivered today. I think that will have to take precedence over your lovely paperwork Eve, so sorry." He almost laughed as he handed the report papers back to a slack jawed Moneypenny, and gently pushed her out of the office.

"Damn it James, I am not typing your report up for you again!" she fumed at him while the door closed between them.


	4. Chapter 4

The two men walked into the baby section. The smaller one had a look of quiet determination, while the well muscled man with the bright blue eyes was starting to look a bit concerned and overwhelmed. Bond followed behind Q, carrying the car seat in one hand. "Here," said Q pulling a shopping cart over and lifting the car seat up into the basket, "this way you don't have to keep holding her."

"But won't we need to put things in?" Bond looked a bit skeptical.

"Most of what you need wouldn't fit in there, and the rest can go on the bottom shelf part." Q further explains by grabbing a large box of nappies and placing it below the basket.

Bond pushes while Q swiftly pulls small things off shelves, barely looking at them for more than a second. As the two approached the furniture area Bond hesitates in the face of so many options, but gravitates towards a very feminine set up with lots of pink, ruffles and soft flowing curves.

"You don't need to spend that kind of money on something she'll only be in for a week at most; there are more financially sensible ones near the back here." Q gently tugs on Bonds arm; the larger man almost looks disappointed.

After choosing a simple crib Bond asks if they should get a changing table as well, "I wouldn't think that necessary for such a short time period, a towel on a bed should suffice."

As Q discussed delivery options with the shop girl Bond pushed the cart back over towards the clothing, looking at the pretty girls dresses, picking out a couple and slipping them in with the other purchases, along with a small stuffed bunny.

Q returned to his side and Bond stopped to look at the young man before him, "How do you know all this stuff, I thought you didn't have any other family?"

Q didn't meet Bonds eyes as he spoke, "Before I got the position of quartermaster my partner and I had discussed adoption at length. Being the intellectual I am I did a lot of research. Simon worked from home and would have been a great parent."

"Would have?" Bond didn't think he liked where this story was going.

"He was walking home from the shop when a drunk driver jumped the curb and slammed into a group of people on the sidewalk. There were many casualties"

Bond was right, he didn't like where that had gone. The thought of Q suffering that kind of lose made him mad and broke the strong man's heart at the same time.

"After that I threw myself into my work, and here I am." Q gave a little sigh and a weak smile, "Come on, I saw a cute little mobile that will go well with that bunny."


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days were a whirlwind of diapers, bottles and sleepless nights for James Bond. He had moved the bed in his guest room off to the side and had the crib set up there and kept a baby monitor strapped to his belt while Monique slept. M had understood enough to give 007 a few days off to stay with her, and Q showed up each day after work to lend a hand so James could get some cleaning up done or a shower in. The younger man often falling asleep on the couch watching TV after the two shared some take out.

After one particularly late evening James decided to leave him there on the couch, covering him with a blanket and gently removing Q's glasses, placing them on the coffee table. James was surprised at himself when he had to stop his hand from running fingers gingerly through Q's soft curls. He was starting to feel loving affection for his quartermaster; this was new territory for him. It's not that James hadn't ever been with a man before. In his line of work that had been almost inevitable. He had never had these types of feelings for another man though, and certainly not one he worked so closely with.

Q had already let it be well-known of his sexual preferences, so James had nothing to worry about on that front. His own reputation as an equal opportunity sexual conqueror was a bit more worrisome. Would Q think less of him for his past indiscretions, would James want them to tarnish the reputation of Q? He didn't like the idea of people looking down on his quartermaster in that way, because of him.

Of course James didn't know whether Q even had those types of feelings for him. And when did Q become his quartermaster instead of the quartermaster?

James stood by the couch, looking down at the gentle man lying there, conflicting thoughts running through his mind. He had no idea how long he had stood there when a small cry came over the speaker on his hip. James quickly grabbed at the monitor to turn it off, but it was too late. Q was already sitting up, groping around for his glasses. James put a hand on his shoulder softly pressing him back down on the couch, "I've got her, and you get some more sleep." Q was about to argue but decided he didn't have the energy for it and drifted off again as James went to the kitchen to fix a bottle.

The call came on Wednesday afternoon; a place had opened up at a well-respected orphanage on the other side of London. They would be ready to take Monique in the morning. James felt a little disappointed that his time with the child was coming to an end. He knew in his heart that this was the best thing for her, but he had grown unexplainable attached to the small girl in his arms. When he dropped her off the next day the woman running the facility gave him ever confidence that Monique would be well cared for till they found her a new family.

That evening Bond was packing up all the baby items he had in his flat, and was beginning to disassemble the crib when there was a knock on the door. When he opened the door he was surprised to see his young quartermaster standing there. "I wasn't expecting you to come by tonight, figured you'd enjoy a nice quiet night finally." James was suddenly feeling angry with the man for coming by. All he was doing was reminding James of all the reasons Q didn't belong there anymore. Monique was gone, and any connection the two men had outside of the MI6 was gone with her.

"I found a nice battered woman's shelter that you can donate the crib and other items to; they are sending a truck by in the morning to collect it all." Q walked past James and into the flat. He stopped when he saw the small pile of boxes in the front hall.

"You could have told me that over the phone." James was starting to sound a bit more aggravated than he meant to. It wasn't Q's fault, deep down he knew that, but he seemed to need to lash out and Q was the only one there.

Q didn't acknowledge the sharp edge in his agent's voice, nor did he move from where he stood, "I thought I'd help you pack it all up."

"I don't need any help."

"I see that now."

"So you can just go home now." James stood by the open door, waiting for Q to leave. When he did turn, James thought he had finally gotten the hint, but instead Q reached out and closed the door.

James was about to blow up at the younger man when Q took his face in his hands and placed his lips gently on James'. "I'm going to miss her too." Q looked into James' eyes with understanding. The kiss took Bond completely by surprise and had extinguished the fires of anger inside him to be replaced by a different fire. He grabbed his quartermaster and firmly pulled the man close, then turning them both around James pressed him up against the door. James began kissing him passionately as Q's arms wrapped around his shoulders. James knew then that Q was truly HIS quartermaster.


End file.
